Means for adjusting coordinate switch parts



Dec. 29,1925. 1,567,254

0. F. FORSBERG MEANS FOR ADJUSTING COORDINATE SWITCH PARTS Filed Jan. 19, 1923 SK Q WWW

Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

v OSCAR F. FORSBERG, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MEANS FOR ADJUSTING COORDINATE SWITCH PARTS.

Application filed January 19, 1923. Serial No. 613,570.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR F. FORSBERG, a citizen of the. United States, residing at Yonkers, in the county of Westchester, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Adjusting Coordinate Switch Parts, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to means for positioning and tensioning the active contacts and operating spring members of a coordinate switch.

Switches of the coordinate type, as disclosed in Patent No. 1,524,344 granted to Henry F. Dobbin, on January 27, 1925, are characterized by the provision of operating cards which are employed for moving sets of active contacts into engagement with sets of passive contacts, each operating card being supported on a flexible spring member and arranged to be moved in a suitable guide upon the conjoint operation of coordinately disposed actuating bars. The actuating bars are respectively provided with camming surfaces and extending pivotal finger members, the latter being adapted to 'sliole along the camming surfaces and engage the flexible spring members to move them vertically, thereby causing a similar movement of their respective operating cards and a consequent wiping engagement between associated sets of active and passive contacts.

The particular construction of a switch of this character and the necessary cooperation of the various elements require that the Qactive contacts and the flexible finger mem- 'bers be properly tensioned and relatively disposed before a unit comprising a plurality of sets of active contacts and their associated flexible finger members be placed on the switch structure. Such a procedure results in the accurate cooperation of as sociated elements and a proper functioning of the switch in general.

It is an object of this invention to accurately tension and relatively dispose a plurality of such flexible spring members prior to their assembly on the switch structure.

In accordance with the foregoing object, this invention provides a jig having means for securely accommodating a plurality of active contact sets and their associated flexible spring members, and a plurality of projecting elements serving as reference points by means of which the relative positions of the contacts andspring members are determined and their respective tensions obtained.

The invention willbe readily understood from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows the jig in detail with a coordinate switch unit comprising a plurality of sets of active contacts and their associated flexible finger members mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line AA of Fig. 1.

The jig consists of a base or supporting element 10 which is provided with clamping means for rigidly securing a coordinate switch unit thereon, which unit comprises an insulating mounting element 11 which has molded therein a plurality of sets of spring wire contacts or conductors 12, 13 and 14, and an extending flexible member 15. The flexible member 15 is secured within the support 11 by means of an eyelet or rivet 16. The rivets 16' also secure a clamping or bracing element 17 to the insulating support 11.

On each corner of one side of the base 10, projecting pieces 20 are located which are adapted to properly position the switch unit on the jig. A clamping plate 19 is loosely mounted on the bolt 18 and extends over the side of the member 20 in such a manner that when the winged nut 21 is made fast, the projecting end of the plate 19 holds the mounting element 11 firmly on the base 10. On the other side of the base 10 is a longitudinally movable strip 22 which may be adjusted to various positions on the base. The strip 22 is provided with a series of projections such as 23, 24 and 25 which act as reference points for the active contacts or wire conductors 12, 13 and 14. Pivotally mounted on the support 10 isan irregular shaped member 26 which has a li or elongated projection 27 serving as a reerence line for the spring member 15. In accordance with the tension of the spring member 15 desired, the member 26 may be adjusted to any angular position on the base 10 by manipulatii-ig the screw 28 and swinging the member 26 about the Pivo 2 The'projecting studs and 31 correspond to certain reference points on the switch structure not shown, and their utility will be apparent from the following description of the application ofthejig to a coordinate switch unit.

a When a switch unit is received from the shop'or manufacturer, the wire contacts such as 12, 13 and 14: and the spring members 15 have been molded within the mounting-element 11 and the bracing plate 17 secured thereto by rivets 16, but the relative positions of these various elements have not been accurately determined. In -'order :to place the unit incondition to be assembled on the switch structure, the supporting strip 11 is placed in position'on the jig between projections 20-20 and is secured "to the base 10 by means ofthe clamping plates 19'and the winged nuts '21. The reference strip 22-is then-moved to a predetermined position which will locate the reference points 23-, 24: and 25 in positions which will accurately determine the tension which 1s required by the contacts 12, 13 and 14. The

strip 22 is then made fast to base 10 by m'eans-ofthescrews and36. The contacts 12, 13 and 14 are then flexed so that their ends when free'will'coinoide 'wi-t h'the reference points 23,-24and 25. In this manner thetension andpositions of the contacts are determined so that when assembled on the switch structure they will accurately cooperate with other operating elements and function efiiciently.

The reference member .26 is then moved v about the'pivot-29-to a -.pred'etermined posi- 27. The spring is then lifted manually over the; studs 30-and 31 and allowed to rest against them. The stud 31 cor'responds to a point'on -the switch structure on which the spring member 15 rests when in its unopjerated position, whereas'the stud 30 cor responds to the point whereat-the spring member 15 engagesan operating lever (as i will be seen in the-above mentioned Patent 1,524,341Agraiited to Henry F. Dobbin) to mo'veit with its associated set of active contacts such as 12, 13 and 14-. If,-after having erly positioned and tensioned so that the card operated by spring 15 and which operates the contacts 12, 13, 14, will not only have the proper tension on it, but will "also assume itsproper normal position. If the Springmember 15 rests against the stud 31 and fails 'to make contact with the stud 30 it is neeessany to shape the spring manually until it aligns itself with both studs 30 and 31 as shown inconnection with the two up- ;per sets of contacts-in Fig. *1.

After the switch unit is adjusted :it is "assembled in :a switch frame as' disclosed in Dobbin, supra) having cooperating levers 'which'operate oneof the active sets of oontacts 12, 13, :14 bypushingfupwards on :wire 15 which moves the 'card'carrying the active spring wires and thereby releases the inherent tension of these active spring wires (:12, 18, 14) sothatthey move into engage- --ment withcorresponding stationary wires forming a multiple grid andthrough which they project.

1. A jig 'fora switch ha'vi-ng a plurality of flexible elements, said jig comprising means for securing the flexible elements thereto, a guide =forregulating the tension of some of said elements and a :plurality of reference markers for fpredetermining the relative positions and tensions of other of said elements.

2 A gjig for a plurality of flexible elements comprising means for securing the flexible elements thereto, a :guide for .predetermining the tension of some of said elements, means for determining the position otthelast m-entioned elements and a plurality of reterence markers for ipredetermining the relative positions and tensions of other of said elements. I e

3. A jig for :a plurality of flexible elements comprising clamping means for securing the elements thereto, a :pivotal guide adapted to be located in various angular :positions which correspond to difiierent values of tension to be; acquired from some "of said elements, :means for locating the operating position of the last mentioned eleinents, and adjustable :means for locating the normal position of the other of said elev-ments.

4. A jig for-a flexible spring member comprising means for securing-thespri-ng member thereto,'a pivotal guide-for aligning said spring member adapted to assume various angular positions on the gig which correspond to predetermined values: of tension of the spring member, and means for locating the spring member with reference to a plurality of predetermined fixed points subsequent to its alignment with said guide.

5. A jig ada ted to mount a unit com- 5 prising a plum ity of sets of active contacts for a coordinate switch, a resilient member for each of said sets securely embedded in said unit, said jig having means including a pivoted member arranged to be positioned as a guide for the free end of each resilient 10 member for securing uniformity of tension in said resilient members.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day of January, A. D.

OSCAR F. FORSBERG. 

